Grand Rapids residents call for police reforms, retrial and expanded civilian oversight after mistrial in Patrick Lioya case

Dozens of residents and community advocates addressed the Grand Rapids City Commission on policing and public safety after a recent mistrial in the shooting death of Patrick Lioya, urging a retrial of the officer involved and broad reforms to department policy and oversight.

Speakers from across the city described ongoing harm they say stems from Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) policies and training and asked the commission to press for changes now rather than wait for additional court outcomes. Several asked the Kent County prosecutor or Michigan attorney general to refile charges; others asked the commission to expand local oversight mechanisms.

Why it matters: community members and some commissioners said the mistrial highlighted gaps between stated policy and practice at GRPD and renewed calls for civilian oversight, a use-of-force audit and policy amendments designed to reduce deadly encounters.

Community members detailed multiple incidents they say demonstrate excessive force or poor coordination by police. Ren Burns, Second Ward resident and community organizer, described an encounter outside the courthouse in which she said a police officer “almost flip[ped] a man out of a wheelchair.” She added, “There is no excuse for that.”

Other speakers focused on specific policy language. A community member who spoke at the hearing read from the department policy and noted, “Point b.1 does state the department’s highest priority is the sanctity of human life,” and cited point e.4’s requirement that “a verbal warning shall be given prior to the use of deadly force when feasible.” That speaker and others urged the city to tighten language and training so warnings, de-escalation and less-lethal options are required where feasible.

Several speakers pressed for structural changes. Micah, a community member, said bluntly, “The police are completely out of control,” and called for “community control of the police.” Jeff Osborne, who identified himself with SURE, thanked GRPD officers who protected his group during protests but nonetheless urged accountability for officers who use excessive force.

Voices from disability and advocacy communities described harmful interactions during protests. Naomi Began, a First Ward resident, urged better training and accommodations for people who are deaf or nonverbal and said a recent protest incident involving a person in a wheelchair and their caretaker resulted in “whiplash and potentially other injuries.”

Several speakers cited the composition and conduct of the jury in the trial as part of their call for outside review. Kenneth Cortez asked whether the Michigan attorney general should step in, and others recommended moving any retrial to another jurisdiction to avoid a jury pool they said was tainted by local publicity.

On formal oversight and next steps, Commissioner Perdue said the city’s Office of Public Accountability (OPA) has signaled it will examine OPA’s jurisdiction and access to data and “including doing an audit of use of force within GRPD.” Perdue described that work as a step the office had previewed to commissioners and said further policy work and data reporting would follow.

Russ Olmstead, a former Civilian Appeals Board chair, urged the commission to change policy rather than wait for case outcomes. “We don’t need to wait for a verdict to do that,” he said, noting the appeals board reviews internal affairs findings but cannot change policy.

What the city said: Mayor David LeGrand and other commissioners thanked residents for testifying and emphasized the city’s responsibility for the police department’s policies. The city manager and chief will appear at upcoming public-safety committee meetings to review changes implemented since 2022 and to discuss possible additional reforms.

No formal commission vote on policy changes occurred during the meeting. Commissioners and staff described planned follow-up actions: OPA review and an upcoming public-safety committee meeting where the chief and oversight staff will present work and possible next steps.

Context and community reaction: Speakers tied the mistrial to broader concerns about policing, training and community safety. Several called for a retrial of the officer involved, stronger civilian oversight, policy revisions to require warnings and de-escalation when feasible, and improved accommodations for people with disabilities. Advocates also urged the commission to publicly endorse a retrial and to seek state-level review if needed.

The commission said it will continue to engage with OPA, the chief and community groups as those reviews proceed.